Flat Fire affects multiple Deschutes Land Trust nature preserves

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ)-- The Flat Fire has moved through fields, forests, and even residential areas, it also passed through several nature preserves owned by the Deschutes Land Trust. These preserves are owned by the Trust for the purpose of restoring the environment and animal habitats and they're also open to the public for hiking. The Deschutes Land Trust is assessing the damage that has been done to the preserves. Luckily, our forests are fire adapted ecosystems, so the fire was actually a benefit in some ways. 

Rika Ayotte from the Deschutes Land Trust told KTVZ News "They've evolved to live alongside fire, and in many ways fire is beneficial to the plants and to the wildlife species that live on our preserves. When fire comes through we are cautiously optimistic that it's going to create better conditions long term for those animal and plant communities and where fire has burned more intensely or where fire has hit things like invasive weeds."

The land trust says the areas where they've done restoration work held up better and suffered less damage from the fire. The preserves impacted include Aspen Hollow, Rim Rock Ranch, and White's Canyon.